On Tuesday, Kristen Clarke became the first Black woman to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate to lead the Justice Department’s Civil Rights division. On the anniversary of George Floyd’s death, Clarke was sworn into office by the first Black woman to serve as vice president, Kamala Harris.
“This is a historic moment because for the first time since its creation, following the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1957, the confirmed Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights will be a woman and will be a Black woman, and that is Kristen Clarke,” Harris spokesperson Symone Sanders said in a statement before the ceremony, CNN reports.
